The Ghost in the Library
by Crystal Sampson
Summary: Jess always knew Sam was superstitious. Why? Because of the prank she helped pull on him the first time she ever met him.


"You're a brave man sitting back here."

Sam jerked his head up to find a girl standing on the opposite side of his table. She was wearing a cropped shirt that showed off the hint of a tattoo on her hip, directly in his line of sight. She leaned against the table with a couple of books tucked under her arm and her dirty blond hair falling across her face.

She was hot, if Sam were being honest.

He grinned up at her. "And why's that?"

"The history section is haunted, everyone knows that."

He chuckled. Haunted history section, original. "Is it?" He asked. He was pretty sure even if it had been, Dean would have put an end to that before Sam even checked in for freshman orientation.

"Yeah, some woman got killed back here in the stacks. They say she haunts the section preying on unsuspecting students."

Sam snorted. "Well, I've been studying back here for almost a year now and she's never shown. Maybe she likes me."

"Or maybe she likes the view."

Sam blinked. She had actually just said that. He was torn between admiring her guts and laughing at just how bad it was. The girl shifted, blushing. "My god that was cheesy. Can we pretend I didn't just say that?"

Sam grinned. "Are you saying I'm not an exemplary specimen of manhood?"

"What, oh, no! I mean yes. No," she slapped her hand over her mouth as Sam burst into loud laughter. Somewhere further back in the stacks someone shushed them. In a quiet voice, she said, "I am so sorry. I'm going to go now."

"Wait!" Sam called as she turned to go. He was still chuckling, but he managed to say, "I'm sorry. I was teasing. I'm Sam."

She turned back and gave a rueful little smile. "Jessica, but everyone just calls me Jess."

"What brings you back to the haunted section?"

"Well, I heard a rumour a cute boy studied back here and I came to scope it out, but per usual, my mouth got me in trouble."

"Did it now? Does it do that often?"

Jess turned scarlet. "I just meant I have no filter! Please stop making me blush."

Sam reigned in his volume as they got shushed again. Smiling he said, "Okay, okay. I'll try. But you're really cute when you blush."

"Now you're just poking fun."

Sam chuckled again. "A little, but it's true. Tell you what, how bout we take a break and get out of here for a little while. I'll buy you a coffee to make it up to you."

"Cute and a gentleman. It's my lucky day."

Sam stood, stretching out the kinks in his back from sitting for so long. He gathered up his jacket and came around the table. Jess's mouth had fallen open and she stared up at him.

"My god you're tall!"

"Yep. Part giant, didn't you know," he said with a wink.

"I take back the part about being a gentleman."

Sam was about to reply when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. His skin was practically crawling. The light had dimmed significantly too, making it feel really dark.

Jess seemed to be confused too. "Is the draft always this bad back here," she asked. Her breath puffed out in a little white cloud and Sam groaned.

"What?" Jess asked. "What's wrong?"

Of all the times for a ghost story to be true, some pissed off spirit had to pick now? Could his luck get any worse? He wanted a quiet life. A little studying, coffee with a cute girl, maybe a nap. These were not unreasonable demands.

Sam spun and faced corridor stretching back into the stacks. About two shelves back, he spotted the tell-tale flicker. He patted down his pockets, but the only things he had on him were his keys and his pocket knife. No iron. No salt.

"I don't suppose you have any salt on you?" He called back over his shoulder, annoyed at being caught unprepared.

Jess blinked perplexed. "Salt? Why would I have salt?"

"Iron?"

"Um, no… Oh, wait! Yeah. My ring!"

Sam turned as she held up the chain around her neck. On it was threaded a dark ring. "Could I see that for a second?"

She pulled it over her head and handed him the chain. Sam took it, wrapping it around his hand so that it would swing freely. He glanced one more time down the hallway before stepping back. Jess was watching him a little confused, but she seemed a little freaked. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

Sam smiled. This was the quietest ghost he'd ever encountered, but if it was going to give him time to run, he'd take it. "It's fine. Just too much time studying probably," he said, trying to brush it off. "Let's go."

Sam took another step back. Taking a deep breath he got ready to turn. He hated turning his back but the ghost didn't seem particularly angry and he didn't want to freak Jess out any more than he already had. He turned to keep walking and came face to face with the ghost.

She was young, about his age with wild hair and a stained blouse. Sam processed this in the second it took him to jump back. Jessica let out a startled cry. Sam cussed and swung the iron ring.

Only to have it bounce back at him when it impacted with flesh.

Sam stared down at the ring, gaping. Since when did ghosts have a body for anything to bounce off of? Even if the ring hadn't been iron, it would have just gone through her.

Sam frown and stared up to find her inches from his face. But that was the mistake. What he'd taken for an exceptionally pissed off and manifested spirit was definitely actually corporeal and looked an awful lot like Becky wearing about a pound of makeup.

"WHOO DARES DISTUUUURB MY LIBRARY?!" She howled in a deep, moaning voice.

She was so close, Sam actually had to step back from the deafening noise. She looked so wild-eyed crazy that Sam started to laugh. He could tell they'd spray painted her clothes to make them stiff and white and her hair was about a foot taller than she normally wore. When she spoke, the red of the insides of her lips stood out bright red against the white makeup they'd somehow caked onto her face.

Sam was laughing so hard, he had to grab a chair from a nearby table to keep himself standing. Meanwhile, the cute girl was just staring dumbfounded at them.

"HOOOW DARE YOU LAUGH AT THE GHOOOOST OF THE LIBRAAARY!"

Any hope Sam had of regaining his composure died at her horrible, warbling wail. Between gasping, chokes of air, he managed to say, "Becky, stop."

Becky straightened up and planted her hands on her hands on her hips. The lights flipped on full brightness and Sam tried his best to reign in his laughter. Until he caught sight of Becky's face.

"Sam Winchester, you ruin perfectly good setups."

Sam managed to stop laughing long enough to say, "You look ridiculous."

Becky jerked her head like she might have flipped her hair over her shoulder, if it hadn't been sticking straight up over her head in a giant, frizzy afro. "It took me an hour to get into this. Admit it, we had you going at first."

Sam snorted. "Sure."

"Come on, Winchester," Brady said, stepping from the shadows between a couple of the shelves. "You were worried. Asking poor Jess for salt. What exactly were you planning to do? Season the ghost to perfection?"

Sam shrugged. "Iron and salt are symbols of purity and supposed to ward off evil spirits."

Brady stared at him for a blink. "Only you would know that."

Sam grinned. "Yeah well, it's really hard to pull off a ghost if she's corporeal." He turned to Jess. "Well played by the way." He winked and held out her ring. "Guess you might want this back, huh?"

She blushed and took it from him. "Thanks."

"Just out of curiosity, was it really iron or were you just playing along?"

"It's really iron. It's an old family heirloom."

Sam chuckled and turned back to Brady. "Just remember, man. What goes around comes around."

Brady grinned and slung an arm around his shoulder. "Aww. Come on. You gotta admit it was good. Chilling draft, flickering lights… we set up the perfect prank."

"I gotta hand it to you, the frozen breath was genius."

"Frozen breath?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, how'd you do that anyway?"

Brady shrugged. "That wasn't me."

Sam turned back to Jess with a questioning look. She grinned sheepishly. "Barry gave me a chunk of dry ice from the chemistry lab."

"Nice," Brady said.

"I hate you all."

"Relax, Winchester. It's just a spot of fun."

"I'm gonna remind you of those words one day."

Brady thumped his chest. "Bring it. You don't scare me!"

Sam chuckled, shaking his head. If Brady had ever met Dean and understood what exactly prank warfare looked like for the Winchester brothers, he wouldn't be so cocky. Sam didn't say that, of course. He wouldn't be giving away any trade secrets anytime soon.


End file.
